Off-site storage moves paper records out of the office into a secure store, where they stay until they are needed or destroyed. Digitisation turns them into searchable digital records and lets the paper go. This page compares the two on cost, access, compliance and risk, and explains when each makes sense.
Off-site storage and digitisation at a glance
| Off-site storage | Digitisation | |
|---|---|---|
| What you keep | The original paper, in boxes in a secure store. | Digital images and data. The paper is returned, stored or securely destroyed. |
| Cost pattern | Ongoing charges for every box, every year, plus retrievals and destruction. | A one-off scanning cost, then the cost of holding the files digitally. |
| Office space | Freed once the boxes leave. | Freed once the boxes leave, with no store to pay for afterwards. |
| Access | A file is delivered or scanned after the agreed retrieval time. | Any authorised person can find a file in seconds, from anywhere. |
| Searching | By box and file reference only. | By name, date, reference or the text inside the document, depending on indexing and OCR. |
| Data protection requests | Files must be found and retrieved before they can be checked. | Personal data can be searched for across the whole collection. |
| Continuity | The paper is the only copy. Loss or damage cannot be undone. | Files can be backed up in more than one place. |
| Originals | Kept, so they are available if an original is ever required. | Only kept where you choose or must keep them. |
| Use in other systems | None until scanned. | Can feed case, claims, document management and AI tools. |
| Best suited to | Records rarely used, or kept only until a destruction date. | Records used often, shared widely or kept for many years. |
When off-site storage makes sense
Storage is the simplest way to clear paper from the office without changing how people work. It is usually the right choice when:
- The records are closed and rarely looked at, such as old project, client or personnel files.
- They will reach their destruction date within a few years, so scanning them would cost more than storing them.
- Original paper must be kept, for example signed deeds or records with legal or historical value.
- You need space quickly and a scanning project would take longer to plan and fund.
- Your systems are not yet ready to receive digital records.
Good storage is more than a warehouse. Each box and file should be barcoded and tracked, the building should be secure and protected against fire and flood, and boxes due for destruction should be flagged so you do not pay to keep them longer than needed.
When digitisation makes sense
Digitisation changes how records are used, not just where they are kept. It is usually the better choice when:
- Staff use the records often, or teams in different offices or working from home need the same files.
- The records must be kept for many years, so storage charges would keep adding up.
- You handle frequent requests for information, such as subject access requests, audits or disclosure.
- The paper is the only copy of information the organisation could not afford to lose.
- You want to use the information in a system, report on it or prepare it for AI tools.
- You want to end storage and retrieval charges altogether.
Digitisation does not have to mean scanning everything at once. Records can be scanned in bulk, or stored and scanned as they are requested.
What drives the cost over the life of the records
Storage looks cheaper in any single year. Digitisation costs more at the start but stops most of the recurring charges. The fair comparison is the total cost over the years the records must still be kept.
| Off-site storage | Digitisation | |
|---|---|---|
| Moving the paper | Collection and intake of each box. | Collection of each box for scanning. |
| Recurring costs | A charge per box for every month or year it is held. | The cost of holding the files digitally, usually in systems you already run. |
| Using the records | A charge each time a file is retrieved, delivered or scanned, plus faster delivery for urgent requests. | Little or no cost per use once scanned. |
| One-off work | None beyond intake. | Preparation, scanning, quality checks and indexing, priced by volume, condition and indexing depth. |
| Leaving | Permanent withdrawal charges if you move boxes elsewhere. | None for the images. |
| End of retention | Retrieval and secure destruction of each box. | Deleting the files, and destroying the paper if it was kept. |
| Staff time | Time spent requesting files and waiting for them. | Time saved finding files, answering requests and sharing documents. |
The longer records must be kept and the more often they are used, the stronger the case for digitisation. Records close to their destruction date usually cost least left in storage.
Compliance, continuity and security
Both routes can be compliant and secure. They carry different risks, and the right choice depends on which matter most for your records.
Retention and data protection
UK GDPR says personal data must not be kept for longer than it is needed, and the ICO expects a retention policy and regular reviews (ICO). This applies equally to boxes in a store and to scanned files. Paper in storage is easy to forget, so make sure every box has a destruction date that someone reviews.
Subject access requests must normally be answered within one month, extendable by up to two months for complex requests (ICO). Finding someone’s personal data in stored paper means identifying, retrieving and reading the right files within that time. In a searchable digital archive, it starts with a search rather than a retrieval.
Continuity
A stored paper file is usually the only copy. If it is damaged by fire, flood or misfiling, the information is gone. Digital records can be backed up in more than one place, but they need managing: access controls, backups and file formats that will still open in years to come.
Security
Whichever route you choose, the supplier will hold your records and act as your data processor, so a UK GDPR contract and the same checks on certifications apply. For storage, ask about building security, fire protection, access controls and how boxes are tracked. For digitisation, ask about the scanning process, where data is held and how it is transferred.
If you plan to destroy the paper after scanning, check whether any originals must be kept and whether scanned copies may need to be used as evidence. BS 10008-1:2020 sets out how electronic information should be managed so that its authenticity and integrity can be demonstrated (BSI).
Using both: Digitise what you use, store what you must keep
Few organisations need to choose one route for every record. A common approach is:
- Review the archive. List the record types, how often each is used and how long it must be kept.
- Destroy what has expired. Securely destroy records past their retention period, with your approval and a certificate.
- Digitise the active and long-term records. Scan the records people use and those that must be kept for many years.
- Store the rest. Keep closed records that are rarely used in secure storage until their destruction date, and scan any file that is requested.
- Keep originals where required. Store paper that must be kept as an original, even when a scanned copy is used day to day.
- Stop new paper building up. Scan incoming documents as they arrive, in-house or through a digital mailroom.
This puts the scanning budget where it saves the most time and keeps storage costs falling as boxes reach their destruction dates.
Questions to ask a provider
- How do you charge for intake, storage, retrieval, permanent withdrawal and destruction?
- How are boxes and files tracked, and can we see an inventory at any time?
- How is the store protected against fire, flood and unauthorised access?
- How quickly can a stored file be delivered or scanned and sent to us?
- How do you flag boxes that have reached their destruction date?
- If we digitise, where will our files be held and in which formats?
- Which certifications cover your storage and scanning facilities, and when do they expire?
- Can you help us decide which records to store, scan or destroy?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is off-site storage cheaper than digitisation?
In any one year, usually yes. Over the full retention period, often not, especially for records used often or kept for many years. Compare the total cost over the years the records must be kept.
Can we destroy the paper once it is digitised?
Often, but not always. Some originals must be kept for legal, regulatory or contractual reasons. Agree the approach with your records manager or legal adviser, and keep the paper briefly after scanning so the images can be checked.
Can we digitise records that are already in storage?
Yes. Boxes can be scanned in bulk straight from storage, or individual files scanned as they are requested.
What happens to stored records at the end of their retention period?
With your approval, they are securely destroyed and you receive a certificate of destruction. Records under a legal hold are kept until you say otherwise.
Do digital records need managing too?
Yes. They need access controls, backups, a retention policy and file formats that will still open in future. Scanning removes the paper, not the responsibility.
Talk to us about your records
Tell us roughly how many boxes you have, where they are now, how often they are used and how long they must be kept, and we will set out the costs of storing and digitising them.